


box of secrets

by waterwingeddove



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Post-Canon, Roller Derby, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 21:51:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7775032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterwingeddove/pseuds/waterwingeddove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holtz notices that Erin disappears some nights, and when she returns in the morning, it's later than usual. Holtz doesn't pay much attention to it– it's really not her business –but when she starts seeing the bruises, that's when she decides to get to the bottom of Erin's disappearances. Derby Girl!Erin AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	box of secrets

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone  
> i fell into ghostbusters hell. i also made this bc i watched whip it and got gay(er) for kristen wiig.  
> disclaimer: i know little about roller derby im sorry. also i know kristen didnt play babe ruthless in whip it but her name was maggie mayhem. i can't have a character named erin be maggie mayhem. so i went with babe ruthless. 
> 
> enjoy!

The first time Holtz noticed it, it was after one evening bust when Patty suggested that the four of them all go out for drinks for a job well done. Erin wormed her way out of it, claiming that she had 'prior engagements,' so that left just Abby, Patty, and Holtzmann to go out to one of the local clubs to unwind. Holtzmann didn't pay it much heed- it's not like it was her business anyway -and she just enjoyed the night. It didn't take long for Holtzmann to see it happening time and time again- Erin disappearing a few nights a week and coming to the firehouse later in the morning than usual. Sometimes Erin seemed stiff and sore when she shows up to the firehouse, and again Holtzmann just pushed the observation to the back of her mind because what Erin got up to at night is _really_ not her business, but Holtz couldn't help but be curious.

Holtz watched Erin arrive to the firehouse at _seven-thirty_ , not her ripe and usual six o'clock, or even her 'late' time of six-thirty, and Erin seemed kind of agitated. Of course, that took Holtz by surprise. For what Holtz _thought_ Erin got up to some nights, Holtz thought that it was supposed to make you unwind and loosen up, not make you even more agitated than before. That threw a bit of a wrench into Holtz's assumptions. Maybe Erin wasn't having eventful date nights every week. Now that made Holtz _really_ intrigued. She definitely wanted to get to the bottom of things after that.

Even though Holtzmann really wanted to figure out just what Erin got up to, she still knew that it wasn't her business, so she didn't pry more than necessary. She looked for any slips Erin gave, trying to work her way to the source by literally any piece of information she could come across. The last thing she expected to find out through that method came when the Ghostbusters were invited to some fancy science seminar and were all getting ready together.

"Hey, Holtz-" Erin hustled over to where Holtzmann was straightening out her outfit in a mirror, clutching onto her dress, "Zip, please?"

Holtz just nodded and went looking for the zipper, and that was when she saw a very large, very recent bruise on Erin's side, right near her left hipbone. She wouldn't have seen it otherwise if it didn't spread to nearly the middle of Erin's back. "Woah, woah, woah, hotshot.." Holtzmann said, fingers ghosting over the bruise, "Where'd you get this here sucker?"

"Wha?" Erin looked over her shoulder, as if that would help, "Oh, the bruise? Uh…" Holtz could tell Erin was wracking her brain for answers, "I...fell. Yeah."

Holtz furrowed her brow, not believing Erin's words for a second. "Erin… You'd tell us if something was up, right? Like, if someone's been hurting you, or something.."

Erin looked dumbfounded, "Of course! But that's not what happened- I swear! Now can you just zip my dress up please? It's getting drafty."

Letting out a sigh, Holtzmann just did as asked and zipped up Erin's dress. Erin just smiled and said a quick, 'thank you' before shuffling off again. Holtzmann crossed her arms in thought, shaking her head. No busting mission of theirs has been so eventful that Erin would get banged up from it. In fact, the busting calls were getting damn boring. So unless Erin got cursed and slipped on slime and wanted to hide that from everyone, her nightly antics were probably what caused that bruise. Not only was Holtz just curious regarding Erin's night missions, but now she was fairly concerned as well.

Erin kept a good secret, despite what everyone would think. While she'd make it painfully obvious she was hiding something and doing a poor job at lying about it, she didn't let a single thing slip about what that something was. That was frustrating as hell for Holtzmann. She needed a stroke of luck to be able to figure out this secret. Fortunately enough for her, the gods smiled down on Holtz, and finally she might be able to figure out that damn secret.

It was one of those days of the week where Erin would scurry off to who knows where, and she was leaving the firehouse to go to that place. When she tried to grab her bag from off the table, she only grabbed one of the handles and her grip on it slipped, so Erin's purse and all of its contents spilled out onto the floor.

Erin just grumbled something presumably not pleasant, and Holtzmann couldn't help but feel bad.

"Here, lemme help." Holtz practically slid over to Erin on her knees to pick up all the stuff.

"No, no, it's fine, really! I got it-" Erin was more occupied in trying to get Holtzmann _away_ from the stuff than actually picking up the stuff.

"Huh?" Holtz glanced back and forth between Erin and the stuff on the floor, and that was when her hand drifted across it. It was a slip of paper, and Holtz caught a glimpse of it. It was a small flier for the city's roller derby, and- that was _Erin_ as the poster girl! Holtz immediately tore her gaze away once she realized what it was. Of all the things Holtz could have spotted while helping Erin clean up, she saw Erin as the roller derby figurehead. She almost would have rather grabbed a tampon or a condom, because honestly that felt like it would have been less embarrassing.

Erin visibly deflated at that, letting out a sigh, "You...saw that, didn't you?" She didn't seem like she was asking a question. She sounded like she already knew the answer, and she did.

"I...uh… My lips are sealed." To top it off, Holtz dragged her fingers over her lips and did the whole lock and throw away the key thing.

Erin mouthed a thank you and stood up after gathering everything else, hurrying out of the firehouse. Holtzmann watched her leave, and she winced slightly and rubbed the back of her neck. That was the last way she wanted to discover Erin's secret. Now she felt bad.

* * *

Holtzmann admittedly felt a bit more relieved knowing that Erin wasn't getting herself into too much trouble when she disappears every few nights. The bruises and such obviously came from throwing it down in the derby ring, so there wasn't much to worry about. Those days where Erin came into the firehouse a bit upset must have been after a loss, too. Everything had an explanation...even the fact that Erin was starting to steer clear of Holtzmann lately. While it did hurt, Holtzmann could see why. She knew something she should have never stumbled upon in the first place. Why couldn't Holtzmann have just stuck to the whole 'it wasn't her business' thing the whole time? Even if she did come across the secret as an accident, she was indirectly still trying to worm her way towards the truth. But it was okay. Holtzmann may have found out a way to fix things.

One night, one Holtzmann was sure Erin didn't have roller derby, Holtzmann made her way over to Erin's stations while Patty and Abby were out on a late-night food run for the lot of them. Holtzmann didn't want to blabble the secret to everyone, after all.

"Hey.." Holtzmann said a little shakily, her usual playful swagger reserved just for Erin gone.

"Oh, um-" Erin stammered, dropping whatever she was working on, "What- what's up?" She grinned weakly.

"I was just wondering, about that thing I saw the other day-"

Erin closed her eyes and sighed, cutting Holtz off, "Holtzmann, please… I'd really like to not talk about it."

"And I can totally see why, but um… I just wanted to know if it was completely impossible if I could maybe see you compete one night? But it's okay if you don't want me to, because like, it's your secret." Holtzmann kept her gaze on the ground the entire time she spoke. For someone so well-versed in flirting with Erin, when it came to actually asking to spend time with Erin alone, Holtzmann lost all her bravado.

"What?!" Erin practically squeaked. She cleared her throat, trying to level her voice before speaking again, "You...want to see me skate? Like, you're legitimately interested in that?"

"I mean, yeah. I looked up the rules to roller derby skating and it seems fun...even if the explanation to it was pretty vague. I figured I could understand it better if I actually watched a game, so I thought I'd might as well ask." Holtz finally looked up to see Erin, and she smiled slightly.

Erin was completely shocked. It took her a few moments to even get words out, "I...um...wow! Okay… I compete again this Friday, if you want to come then?"

Holtz smiled a bit wider and nodded, "I'm game, hotshot. But, I just need to make sure.. You're not just saying yes so I'd keep quiet about it, right? I don't want to force this on you. That's the last thing I want."

"No, I-" Erin cleared her throat again, grinning as she leveled herself more, "I want you to come with me."

"Thanks, Erin. I'll catch you Friday, then?" Holtzmann gave that two-fingered salute to Erin as she took a few steps away towards her own station.

"Yeah, Holtz. I'll take you there!" Erin grinned wider, nodding.

* * *

Friday could not come quickly enough for Holtzmann. She couldn't help it. Finally she could be able to see into this secret side of Erin's life. Holtzmann was overcome with excitement. Part of her wondered if she could make it through the night without passing out.

Eventually time came for Erin to leave to go and attend that roller derby match, and while she waited, Holtz changed into something more put-together than the stuff she just lounged around in at the firehouse. Erin walked up to her after a little while, already set to go.

Erin let out a breath to steady her voice, "You ready to see your first roller derby?"

Holtz nodded and smiled, "Born ready."

And off they went. On the ride there, Erin did her best to try and explain the rules of the sport, managing to clear things up more for Holtz. Before long, they were already at the ring, and Erin was showing Holtz to the stands before she had to go back to the locker rooms to get ready.

"You can just pick any seat that you want, but I'd recommend _not_ sitting at the front near the rails unless you want some flying derby girls right in your face." Erin said with a hint of a laugh.

Holtz had a sly look on her face and she quirked a teasing brow Erin's way, "I wouldn't complain getting face-to-face with some cute derby girls...especially if you're one of them."

Erin laughed bashfully, ducking her head so her reddened face was out of view, "Hah, well… I won't stop you if you want to...but I still think you should stay away. It'd suck if you got crushed by a skater flipping over the rails on your first time here."

"Point taken." Holtz nodded, "I'm sure I'll find the best seat in the house. Though any seat's a good seat if I get to see you throw it down in the ring." She winked to top it all off.

Erin couldn't help but let out another sheepish laugh, smacking her lips, "Are you trying to throw me off my game, Holtzy?"

Holtzmann threw up her hands in a surrender, "My bad, my bad. Can't help it sometimes." Her smile grew warm, and Holtz pulled Erin in for a quick hug, "Good luck out there, Erin. Kick some ass."

"Oh! We're hugging. Okay." Erin grinned, hugging Holtz back for a brief moment, "I'll do my best out there. I got someone to impress this time after all."

Holtzmann went out to go get a drink, and then she went to find a seat after that. She picked a spot near the corner of the bleachers so she could rest against the wall that was there to make sure people didn't fall out into the entrance. It was a nice view from up that high. Holtzmann could see the entire track from up there. She sat down and leaned against the wall, taking a sip from her drink and waiting for the game to start.

It didn't take much longer for the announcer to approach the microphone and get the crowd hyped. Holtzmann grinned to herself, swirling her drink around in her cup and watching the skaters be introduced. They all seemed to have nicknames and titles- well, Holtzmann at least assumed there wasn't someone actually named Smashley Simpson...or Iron Maven, or Eva Destruction.

Holtz looked around. A lot of people had been announced, and she couldn't spot Erin yet, unless she threw a wig on and grew a foot in the last half-hour. The announcer then gave a huge welcome to one of the star skaters, and out came Erin, though she was introduced as… Babe Ruthless?!

"Babe Ruthless?" Holtz said to herself, shocked, "Hah! I'm never gonna let her live this down… Babe Ruthless… Hoh boy.."

The crowd went wild as Erin- _Babe Ruthless_ -skated around the track. She obviously was the fan favorite, and Holtz was excited to see why. Though that excitement soon vanished the instant Erin was sent to the bench right away. It looked like she was going to have to wait to see Babe Ruthless in action.

A few plays was enough to tell Holtzmann that roller derby was a high-contact and extremely aggressive sport. She wondered how Erin could have gotten into such a thing, being the (normally) non-confrontational person she is. Could it have started as some form of release? Holtz would have to ask about that later. The last thing she heard was the coach pointing to Erin and telling her to get on the track as another skater rolled to sit down.

Holtzmann downed the rest of her drink and dropped her cup, rubbing her hands together and leaning forward to get a good look at the play. She could see Erin's face better now, and Holtz noticed the black eyeshadow that winged out all the way to her hairline, like warpaint. Erin really got into the character of Babe Ruthless. It was certainly a sight for Holtz to soak in.

Erin settled in at the front of the skaters, and she threw up three fingers. The rest of her team seemed to understand, and they grew even more determined and got ready. Then the first whistle blew, and all of the 8 blockers shot off around the track. Erin's team, the Hurl Scouts, all seemed to pick a blocker from the other team and stayed alongside them as best as they could, and then the second whistle blew and the jammers were off. Holtz leaned forward even further, holding her breath, and that was when she could hear Erin shout, "NOW!"

All of the Hurl Scouts spun around and clotheslined the opposing blockers, knocking them to the ground. Holtz felt herself leap out of her seat, screaming in excitement and throwing her fist into the air along with the rest of the crowd. The Hurl Scouts' jammer easily sped through the disoriented blockers from the other team, and she went on to score four points without breaking a sweat. Holtz was cheering loudly at that point, so much that Erin even turned and spotted her, grinning slightly. Holtz gave a very enthusiastic thumbs-up, and for once, even the badass Babe Ruthless seemed flustered and embarrassed. Holtz took that as a win.

Things worked out pretty methodically from then on out. Every once and awhile Erin would be sent to the bench as the skaters rotated. Holtz never felt more alive than watching this heated derby match, seeing the girls knock each other around and skate like their lives depended on it. The scores grew close, neck and neck, by the fourth quarter, and time was ticking down. The Hurl Scouts needed a four-point clench to guarantee the win, so Babe Ruthless was pulled off the bench and was given the jammer cap to put on her helmet. Holtz was practically shaking from the excitement. The Hurl Scouts were using their ace.

As Erin skated out to fall in line, she glanced over to where Holtzmann was sitting and flashed the slyest grin Holtz ever seen her wear. Holtz immediately knew that she was in for a ride, and she rubbed her hands together and leaned forward.

The first whistle blew, and the blockers were off. The second whistle sounded shortly after that, and the second that it did, Erin shoved the other jammer and then shot off. It gave Erin the head start that she needed, and from there she wove through the blockers until she reached one of her fellow Hurl Scouts who led the pack of blockers. That Hurl Scout, Smashley Simpson, had her arm held back, and Erin took it, and Smashley used both arms to hurl Erin around the curved end of the track, and Erin was off like a rocket. Holtz leaped out of her seat again at that point, cheering for Erin as she whirled across the track and scored the four points the Hurl Scouts needed to get a guaranteed victory. The crowd was going wild, with Holtz leading the cheers, and the announcer confirmed the Hurl Scouts' win once time ran out.

Holtz practically ran to the rails at that point, pushing her way to hug the railing and looking for Erin. She locked eyes with her, and Erin pointed off to the side- that must be where the skaters' exits were. Holtz nodded, and again she shoved her way out of the crowds, wanting to make sure she was there to catch Erin after her win. The second Holtz saw Erin when there wasn't a railing in between them, Holtz ran towards her and pretty much leaped at her, throwing her arms around Erin's neck. Erin was lucky she kept her ground so that they wouldn't topple over, but she did let out bit of a startled shriek.

"That was the greatest thing _EVER!_ " Holtzmann said, squeezing Erin tight, "I had no idea you could be that badass! I mean, I've seen you fight ghosts, but holy _shit,_ Erin, that was some next level stuff right there!"

"Woah there, Holtz… I'm still in my skates!" Erin stammered, pulling away with the hint of a smile on her face, "Just give me a second to change and you can tell me how much you didn't believe in my badassery before now."

"Oh, come _on,_ hotshot! I didn't mean it like that!" Holtz protested, though she was laughing the entire time, "But fiiiiine. I'll be here."

Erin just waved in that charmingly awkward fashion of hers before skating off to the lockers. Holtz just waited around, alternating between checking her phone, glancing about, and doing a little dance to a beat in her head. She saw some of the other Hurl Scouts skate past, none of them really minding Holtz much, but when Erin came out of the locker rooms at that moment en route to Holtz, the squad of skaters were brought to a halt and they faced their assumed leader.

"Hey Babe, you going out for drinks with the rest of the girls tonight?" One of them asked. Holtz could recognize her as that one Erin did the whip with, Smashley.

Holtz winced despite herself. She had a feeling that a Hurl Scout celebration party would leave her relatively sidelined, and Holtz definitely didn't want to come between Erin and her friends. Erin picked up on this, glancing between Smashley and Holtz uneasily. "Uh…" She started, smiling nervously, "Sorry… You know I love nothing more than celebrating with the girls, but…" Erin looked over at Holtz, eyes never leaving her and her grin becoming stronger, "I think I already have plans."

Holtz grinned. Smashley just groaned and looked at the other Hurl Scouts, "Fine, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna be the DD tonight!" She looked more upset that they wouldn't have a designated driver than Erin deciding to hang out with Holtz for the night.

Erin laughed to that and walked over to Holtzmann, smiling, "Shall we?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Holtz practically jumped and started walking, "Lezgo!"

As Holtz and Erin were leaving, some of the Hurl Scouts stayed and watched them walk off. Eva Destruction spoke up, "Uh… Has Babe ever brought anyone to watch her skate before?"

Smashley shook her head, "Nope. She certainly has never passed on post-race drinks, either. Who is that girl?"

"Think it's her girlfriend?" Eva whispered, leaning closer.

Smashley shrugged, "Don't know, but she's gotta be pretty special for Babe to bring her here _and_ pick her over Hurl Scout parties. Here I thought she was tryna keep the derby stuff on the DL."

"Who knows. And who cares. There's drinks with our names on 'em."

"Now you're talking!"

* * *

Holtz and Erin settled down at a local bar, already well into their first round after a bit of small talk. In the midst of a dip in the conversation, Holtz took a sip from her beer and sighed contently, looking Erin over.

"You're really good at skating. You know that, right?" She said, a soft grin on her face.

Erin looked up from her drink and blinked a few times in response, "You really think so?" She asked, basically astounded.

"Are you serious?" Holtz furrowed her brow, "You, _Babe Ruthless_ , are the poster-girl of the entire city derby. I would've expected you to at least think you were half-decent."

Shaking her head, Erin let out a sigh, "You're right. It's just...still surprising to hear that, you know? Especially from someone outside of the league… Not many people are too excited about me doing this sport. It's still bit of a shocker when people are."

Holtz leaned forward a bit, tilting her head, "Is that why you keep it a secret? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

"Sort of, yeah. I initially did it because I was still up for tenure, and I didn't want word getting out that much. I guess I just got so used to keeping it under wraps that I didn't tell anyone. A lot of people get worried, because it's such a high-contact sport." Erin's gaze dipped to the ground, "I first got into the sport at college. Abby knew and would come watch my matches. There was one night where I got into a really nasty collision in the championship match with three other blockers. I got a bad concussion and messed my knee and shoulder up. When I got better, Abby didn't want me competing again. And I didn't, but when I started getting really stressed when I was trying for Columbia, I needed the release the game gave me. That's also why I don't tell anyone. I don't want them to worry."

Holtz listened intently as Erin told her story, eyebrows raising and expression turning sympathetic when she mentioned the injuries. She pursed her lips and just nodded. She could understand where Erin was coming from. "I get it. I really do. I, uh… I'm sorry I kind of forced my way here. I don't want to make things weird between you and Abby if word got out. I know that's kind of risky now that I know."

"Holtzmann, stop-" Erin's hand flew out to rest on top of Holtz's which was placed on the bar, "You didn't force your way here. I _wanted_ you to come. I knew that you wouldn't judge me for what I do. I _trust_ you."

Holtzmann flashed a grin at that, but she averted her gaze guiltily, "I kinda did, though. I mean… when I first noticed you were slipping out at night, I was trying to get to the bottom of it… And then I found out. I can't help but feel as if my snooping played part in it."

Erin narrowed her eyes, treading on like Holtz was speaking nonsense, "You found out my secret on accident, when I dropped my bag and the flyer spilled out…"

Waving her arms about as if to call that malarkey, Holtz just shook her head, "I still feel bad.."

"Oh, stop." Erin punched her in the shoulder. Holtzmann...actually recoiled at that, "Jeez… Sorry..."

"Babe Ruthless packs a punch… Who'dda thought." Holtz said, raising her glass to her smiling lips.

Erin eased up and laughed, taking a sip from her own drink, "Shut up, Holtz. Why do I get the feeling you won't let me live that down now?"

"Because I won't. Now… I got something really important I gotta ask you…" She spun on her chair so she faced Erin completely and she leaned forward, so much that the space between their faces was practically nonexistent.

Now hyper-aware of how close they were, Erin's gaze dropped down to Holtz's lips for a second before roaming back to her eyes, "...Y-Yeah?" She cleared her throat, struggling to keep it together, "What is it…?"

Holtzmann was strangely quiet for a long amount of time, never blinking as she stared Erin down like that. Erin could feel her palms growing sweaty and her mouth going dry, and- god, she could only imagine how red her face was at that moment… How was Holtz able to be so calm while they were this close?

Suddenly Holtzmann grinned widely and closed her eyes, "Do you think you could teach me how to skate?"

Admittedly, Erin shouldn't have laughed that loud, but she did. She tried stifling it at first, but she gave up and just let it out. She composed herself quickly enough because she got worried she might seem like she was insulting Holtz or something. "Of course! I-I'd be happy to!"

Holtz visibly lit up at that, and she surged forward and wrapped Erin in a hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said, squeezing tight.

Erin had one hand grasping at the bar to try and stay upright, while the other wrapped around Holtz, "Wow, Holtzy… One day you're going to knock both of us to the ground in your tackle-hugs…"

"Who's to say I'm not practicing my strength for my derby career?" Holtz teased.

Erin just laughed and rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Alright, bend your knees slightly, make sure you stay balanced, and just...push off!" Erin instructed, hands on her hips. Holtz did as she was told, and toppled within seconds. "...Okay. Not bad, but there's work to be done."

Holtz groaned. She flailed her arms to garner enough momentum to sit up, and she just stayed like that for a little while. Just two nights ago she thought that learning to skate would be fun, but now that she was awake before noon on a Sunday and at the derby track with Erin, it wasn't fun because she kept falling. Covering her face with her hands, Holtzmann groaned again and shook her head. "This is haaaard." She whined, muffled by her hands.

Erin just skated over to where Holtz was on the floor and kneeled, offering her hand, "Need some help?"

Nodding, Holtz took Erin's hand and scrambled to her feet, rocking a bit once she got up. Erin's hands went to Holtz's arms to keep her upright and balanced. "I know you can get the hang of it, Holtz. We just need to keep going at it!"

"You know we're friends, Erin." Holtz said, "I won't be offended if you say I'm a lost cause. I'd appreciate the honesty here."

Erin looked taken aback by that. She could never think that. Shaking her head, Erin just looked all the more determined to help Holtz, "Nope. You are not a lost cause, Holtzmann. I believe in you. In fact, I may know a way to make this work…"

Holtz raised an eyebrow, and Erin's hands glided down Holtz's arms to grab ahold of her hands. Slowly, Erin started skating backwards, pulling Holtzmann with her so they just easily rolled along the track. Holtz would stumble and wobble a bit still, but after a lap, she was able to just drift along without losing her balance. So Erin picked it up a little.

"Alright…" Erin said with a grin, "Now start pushing off with your skates."

Holtz looked downward, trying to see how her feet moved, and she made a few strides. It was shaky still, but she was getting the hang of it. She started laughing once she was able to continuously skate without much of a problem.

"I think I got it!" Holtz shouted, looking back up at Erin with a wide smile, "I'm skating!"

Erin nodded and looked behind her. They were approaching the end curve, and Erin got an idea. Moving her hands up to Holtz's forearms, Erin took a good grip on Holtz and braced herself, "I know you can do this, Holtz. Just keep your balance!"

"Wait. What are you doing?!" Holtz's confidence before vanished instantly.

Erin just shot Holtz a smile, "Trust me."

Just like that one play at the competition, Erin spun around and threw Holtz towards the end curve of the track, giving her a burst of speed. It wasn't as fast as it was in the competition because she really didn't want to be responsible for breaking Jillian Holtzmann, but it was faster than the snail pace they were going at. The entire time Holtz was going around that end curve, she was flailing her arms and screaming Erin's name angrily.

Erin went the other way so she could meet Holtz halfway at the other end of the track, but she kept her eyes on Holtz the entire time. She cupped her hands beside her mouth to shout at Holtz, "Don't worry! If you feel like you're losing your balance, just get low! It helps! Trust me!"

Holtzmann nearly immediately bent her knees, balancing herself. It came at the cost of a lot of her speed, but at least she was stable. Slowly but surely, she stood up straighter and started using her legs to push forward, and all on her own too. By the time she reached Erin at the end of the track, Holtz was gliding along easily and could even straighten herself up fully with her arms raised in the air triumphantly.

"Look at you go!" Erin shouted, "You look like a pro out there!"

"Wooo!" Holtz skated right into Erin, throwing her arms around her in a hug. Erin nearly fell again. Supposedly that was just becoming routine, "I did it!"

"Jesus, Holtz.." Erin mumbled, skating backwards again with Holtz clinging on to her. Maybe that wasn't a hug but just a way for Holtz to not fall over. She pushed Holtz back up to stand again, but still held on to her, "You're seriously going to send us both crashing to the ground someday. I hope you know that."

Holtz shrugged innocently, a grin on her face, "Eh. Doesn't bother me. I'm more caught up with how Babe Ruthless has such a caring and gentle side to her." Her grin turned sly, and she snickered a bit. Erin's face went blank and she let go of Holtzmann, just letting her fall to the ground. Holtz groaned once she hit the floor, and she just stirred slowly, pushing herself up, "That's fair. Okay. I deserved that…"

Erin pouted. She felt a bit bad at that, so she offered her hand again for Holtz to take. When Holtz pulled herself up on to her feet, she stayed there, very still, very close to Erin's face. That was starting to become as common as the tackle-hugs. They both managed to make Erin feel butterflies in her stomach.

Just when Erin wasn't sure she would ever move, Holtzmann quickly yet gently gave Erin's cheek a quick peck and she hugged Erin again, this time without the ridiculous momentum behind it that could send them both toppling over. In fact, it was more so Holtzmann was pulling Erin towards her than Holtzmann throwing herself at Erin.

"Thanks for teaching me, Erin." Holtzmann said earnestly, smiling to herself, "I know I'm not the easiest disciple. Just ask Dr. Gorin."

Erin was shocked at that, to say the least. It took a moment for her to unfreeze herself and wrap her arms around Holtz. "Aw, come on, Holtz.. I couldn't just give up on you like that, could I? I was horrible the first time I put skates on. I once got invited to a birthday party in like fifth grade to a roller rink, and I was hugging the wall and wiping out every five seconds. It was embarrassing. Everyone was laughing. But look at me now!" She pulled away, grinning, "It just takes practice!"

Holtz nodded, a lopsided grin on her face, "Life loved screwing ya' over when you were younger, huh?"

Smacking her lips, Erin just clapped her hands together and lowered her head, "It still does." Holtz winced a bit, frowning, and she just placed her hand on Erin's shoulder sympathetically for a brief moment.

Erin just shook her head, clearing her throat and moving on, "Hey, Holtz…?"

"Yeah, hotshot?"

"So I've been thinking about this for a while and stuff, and…" Erin started fiddling with her hands, keeping her gaze locked on the ground, "It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with you- like, I totally do and I want to do more of that but I'll come back to that later -it's just that it feels wrong to keep this hidden still from Abby and Patty. I mean… I think it would be fun if we all could join in on this, you know?"

Holtz perked up a bit, smile wide and excited, "You're gonna tell them?!"

"I think so, yeah."

"YES!" Holtz cheered, throwing her arms into the air. She nearly toppled over on her skates from her excitement, "It would be so much more fun with the entire gang at matches cheering you on! There's only so much cheering a gal could do on her own. And I need to start betting on plays with Patty and Abby."

Erin grinned slightly, still a little hesitant, "Do you think they'll be accepting of it?"

"I know for sure Patty will be ecstatic. She gets really into watching sports. Abby… Well, considering how many times we've all gotten hurt on busts, I doubt she could really stand behind the 'it could be dangerous' rhetoric anymore. I mean, we all nearly died like seven times. This is pretty tame compared to that." Holtz said, placing her hands on her hips.

Erin took a deep breath to psych herself up, "Then yeah. I'm gonna tell them."

"Awesome!" Holtz started skating again, breezing past Erin, "Let's go do it now then! Technically we're skipping work by being here anyway." She glanced down at her watch, "Yeah. They've got to be wondering about us by now. Yikes. It got late."

Erin winced, "Really?"

"Yeah. It's like 2 o'clock."

"God, we gotta get moving." Erin caught up to Holtz. Now they were practically racing to get out of there, "They're gonna be pissed."

"Oh, for sure. No time to even change out of this stuff. At this point, we need to hop into the car in full gear."

"You are not driving with skates on, Holtz. I feel like I'm going to die enough in the car with you _without_ huge shoes."

" _Fiiiiine_."

They essentially sprinted to the car and climbed inside as best as they could with all that gear on.

* * *

Erin had taken off all of her gear in the car ride over. She also insisted that Holtz wait to do the same until they had gotten there since when Holtz took off her helmet they nearly swerved into the other lane. Holtz threw off her elbow and knee guards and just left them in the car as they went inside. Kevin greeted them with a big ol' grin. Abby was working on the website whereas Patty was doing some research. Both of them seemed to snap up once they heard Holtz and Erin enter.

"Took you two long enough to show up." Patty said, shaking her head.

Abby joined in, "Do we even want to ask?"

"Actually, yes. You do." Erin said, jumping right to the point, "Well… I'll just tell you. We were at the derby ring."

Holtzmann nodded and crossed her arms to voice her support. Abby stood up from where she was sitting and walked over, obviously intrigued, "The derby ring? What were you doing there?"

"Skating. Holtz asked me to show her how after she saw me at the derby Friday night." Erin lifted her chin and tried to stay level.

"Derby?" Patty chimed in, "Like, roller derby? You do that, Erin?"

Erin nodded, "Yes, I do. I have for a while now. I retired from it while I was in college but I took it back up around the time I was looking to enter academia. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want them-" She looked over at Abby, " _you_ worrying about me. I know how... _aggressive_ the sport can get. And I know how hurt I got the last time I played it."

"But you told Holtzmann?" Abby asked.

"I found out on accident." Holtzmann interrupted, "I only got to see a game because I asked."

"And that made me realize that I should just tell everyone. It's easier than sneaking around." Erin let out a deep breath, "So. I do roller derby every few nights. My team and I are even on track to compete in the championship if all goes well."

"So you're telling me," Abby walked up to Erin, placing her hand on her shoulder, "Babe Ruthless is back in action?"

Erin just laughed and nodded, "Babe Ruthless is back in action."

Abby looked at each ghostbuster and just nodded, smacking her lips, "Alright. We're going to your next game. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer, either!"

"I wasn't planning on saying no!" Erin said.

"Good, because I'm gonna be there, and I'm gonna be shouting so loud that it scares off the other team!"

"Oh god, Abby… Don't embarrass me out there. I have a reputation now!"

"That's real funny, y'know. The fact you think that your 'reputation' will make me not cheer for you as loudly as I can."

While Erin and Abby seemed to be bickering, Holtz made her way over to the table where Patty was seated at, and she leaned her back against it and placed her elbows on it. Patty just leaned closer, "Tiny little Erin does roller derby? And doesn't get slaughtered out there?"

"Nah." Holtz breathed, a proud grin on her face as she watched Erin and Abby get into what essentially was a slap-fight, "She's the one who does the slaughtering."

"Damn… We got a badass on our squad."

"Damn straight we do." Holtz turned to face Patty, smirking, "Just wait until you see the whip."

Patty raised an eyebrow. Holtz just snickered to herself.

That next game was going to be fun as hell.

* * *

A few weeks had passed since the Ghostbusters had becoming a rallying force at Erin's derby games. Erin had been on a winning streak with her team, and the Hurl Scouts were in the championship round. It was the Hurl Scouts versus the Holy Rollers, and of course the Ghostbusters were going to be there for their Erin when it came to showtime. A ghost haunting Mayor Bradley himself wouldn't stop them all from going to the game. The stakes were too high.

Abby, Patty, and Holtz were all decked out in fan apparel: hats, shirts, wristbands, flags, the whole shebang. They even mimicked Erin's signature makeup for her derby games. Erin wasn't without her own gear. Holtz gave Erin her Screw-U necklace for good luck. Abby gave Erin a complimentary Ghostbusters pin (they were experimenting with a merchandise line) to add to her faux-badges of her Hurl Scouts uniform. Patty and her surprising artistic talent whipped up a sharpie-tattoo of the Ghostbusters logo loud and proud on both of Erin's shoulders. Erin had her warpaint-esque makeup on. They were all more than ready for this match.

Since this was the championship match, the Hurl Scouts wanted a strong start, so Babe Ruthless would be a starting player. She would be a blocker at first. About a few plays into the match, where everyone was too energized and running off of instincts, Erin was skating to fall in line with the other blockers, and she made an 'X' in front of her chest with her arms, but her hands were cocked back so that the backs of her fingertips touched. It looked like she was making a diamond with that gesture, and the rest of the Hurl Scouts understood.

The three Ghostbusters were shaking with anticipation, batting at each other in excitement. Abby filled them in on the diamond technique, and they were stoked to see it in action. The first whistle blew and the blockers shot off, and then the second whistle came and the jammers joined the frenzy. One of the Hurl Scout blockers settled in behind the Holy Roller jammer, with two Hurl Scouts on either side of the jammer, and Erin cut her off in front. They had sandwiched the jammer in a diamond position, making for a distraction and tricky escape, whereas the Hurl Scout jammer was already skating past and getting a headstart for points. When the Hurl Scouts got four points for that round, Holtz and co. jumped out of their seats and cheered.

The match was a nail-biter. Despite the talent of the Hurl Scouts, their opponents were not easy, fitting for a championship match. The scores consistently were fairly even, never exceeding a six point lead. Abby, Patty, and Holtz were being the loudest of the crowd in cheers, rooting on their Erin and giving her the gusto needed to go on. When the fourth round hit, Erin was given the jammer cap, and by the looks of it, she would be keeping it until they finished. She got a few points in the first two plays she ran as jammer, but by the middle of the fourth, her luck was running out.

The Hurl Scouts blockers were running a play where they took a hefty lead, then willingly went to the wall and stopped. When the Holy Rollers were on the way to pass, each Hurl Scout pushed off the wall and into the Holy Rollers, pushing down three blockers and their jammer. Erin came through and weaved her way through the downed players, and just when she seemed in the clear, the blocker that went untouched by the Hurl Scouts reappeared, and shoved Erin towards the rail. Erin didn't see her coming, so she was caught completely off-guard and was shoved, her head going right into the rail and her body falling on the track. The stadium filled with gasps, and play stopped. The Hurl Scout coach went to Erin's side, checking on her.

Abby shot out of her seat first- she saw a hit like this. This was one of the hits that Erin took that ended her career the first time around. She knew what this could mean. Holtz, who was on Abby's side, grabbed at Abby's arm, needing the support. Patty's hands were over her face, and she was just speechless.

"ERIN!" Abby shouted, pulling her girls close.

Patty was fervently shaking her head, refusing to believe what she was seeing was real, "Come on, baby! You gotta get up! Don't leave us hanging!"

Holtz didn't shout. She just held on to Abby, breathing staggering and her eyes growing misty. She swallowed hard, looking down on the track and whispering weakly, "Erin…"

The Hurl Scout coach placed his hand on Erin's shoulder, shaking it. To everyone's surprise, Erin swatted him away, pushing her torso up slowly and weakly. Holtz, Patty, and Abby were finally able to breathe, and they all cheered for Erin as she got herself to her feet. When Erin spun around to get in position, that's when the three of them could see it. She didn't look dazed or hurt. The only thing on her face was anger.

"She hasn't looked that way since she punched that reporter in the face…" Abby trailed off, astounded.

"I don't even think that was as intense as this. She's got a lot of anger in that tiny body." Patty said.

Holtz stayed quiet, just watching the track as the next jam was about to start.

While Erin was darting around the track in that jam, that blocker from before sneaked up on Erin again and clotheslined her, knocking her down. Erin managed to catch herself as she fell, sitting up and raising her arms in the air. Two Hurl Scouts, Smashley and Eva, grabbed either arm and pulled Erin to her feet and threw her back into motion. Erin stuck to the inside and managed to pass the jammer, scoring points for the Hurl Scouts. Holtz and co. were back into the groove of cheering for Erin- shouting, hollering, everything.

Time was counting down. Before any of them knew it, there was only a minute left which meant there was only time for one last jam. The score was 78-76 for the Hurl Scouts. They were in the lead, but they couldn't let up. Should they lose that jam, they would most certainly lose the championship. Everything was counting on this one play.

The first whistle sounded, and then the second. Erin maneuvered through the blockers and got out front, where Smashley was waiting for her with her arm extended back. Erin grabbed on and Smashley whirled her forward in a whip around the curve of the track. The other jammer was hot on Erin's heels, taking an inside route. Erin went for the outside, working her way back to Smashley for another burst of speed. The other jammer had moved ahead, and with a sizeable lead. Eva darted through and instead grabbed Smashley's hand, and Eva extended her leg out for Erin. Holtzmann, Abby, and Patty were near frozen in anticipation as Erin took Eva's skate for the three-person whip. With Smashley's force and Eva's help, Erin was shooting across the track like a rocket. That whip alone would have probably given Erin enough speed to get the first finish, but Erin didn't stop there. She kept skating, channeling all of that emotion from that hit she took to the fact that her friends were watching her to push forward. The Ghostbusters were all shouting for Erin, willing her to keep going and to go faster, and their shouts exploded once Erin crossed the line first, getting another four points to clinch a 82-76 win for the Hurl Scouts!

Erin threw her fist in the air, celebrating the victory as her fellow Hurl Scouts circled around her all in a group hug. Holtz, Abby, and Patty were all at varying levels of clinging to each other and crying, huddled all together. The Hurl Scouts took their victory lap, giving high-fives, doing tricks, revelling in the moment. Erin pointed to her Ghostbusters tattoo on her arm and shouted, "Who you gonna call?" to which the entire stadium returned with, "GHOSTBUSTERS!" To top it all off, Erin kissed the Screw-U necklace around her neck like it was an Olympic gold.

At that point, once the victory laps settled, Patty, Abby, and Holtz threw all caution to the wind and ran straight to the rail, pushing everyone aside and climbing over the rail and out onto the track. They rushed right over to Erin and swallowed her in a hug.

"Babe Ruthless is back and better than ever!" Abby shouted, slapping Erin on the back.

Patty threw her arms in the air, "Our Erin is a champion! I can't believe it!"

Abby and Patty were jumping together, screaming about Erin's win. Holtz just grinned and watched them, taking the moment to throw her arm around Erin while it was just them.

"You did good, Erin. Ya' did good." Holtz said with a smile, glancing at Erin out of the corner of her eye, "Even if you did give us a good scare back there in the fourth. Tell me, did you just play that for theatrics or was I nearly crying for a good cause?"

"Are you kidding? I was fighting to hang on for a solid five seconds there." Erin laughed, still a bit breathless from the game, "Wait… You cried for me?"

" _Nearly_ cried. You really had us worried there, y'know."

"I could tell, strangely enough. I swear it was Abby's voice that snapped me out of it." Erin deadpanned.

"She was pretty loud…" Holtz agreed. Knowing she had very little time left with Erin to herself, she cut straight to the point, "Remember that thing you said we'd come back to?"

Erin was lucky her face was already red from the workout, or else her face would have flared up immediately, "...Uh-huh."

Holtz grinned softly, "You still up for that?"

"Of course." Erin returned the smile, "I meant it."

Holtzmann nudged Erin playfully, laughing before bringing Patty and Abby back in as well as the Hurl Scouts, "NOW WHO WANTS SOME DRINKS TO CELEBRATE?!"

She got cheers all around.

That night while they were out at the bar, when Erin got a moment with Holtz to herself, she placed her hands on both sides of Holtzmann's face and kissed her amidst laughs and celebration.

They were all winners that night.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i wouldn't mind expanding upon this. i have a few ideas but they're not much to go off of, and if i did, it'd probably be for just another chapter or something. fret not! i have other fic ideas for the future. i've been thinking of a beach volleyball AU bc of olympic hype (go ross and walsh-jennings!! my queens!!) and also i have holtz/jennifer in the works bc i love cecily strong. thanks for reading! catch me on twitter and tumblr!
> 
> tumblr: lucylaneeffect  
> twitter: getholtzmannd


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